reduced benefits for widows at age 60

reduced benefits for widows at age 60 Sec. 307. (a) (1) Paragraph (1)(B) of section 202(e) of the Social Security Act (as amended by section 308(b) of this Act) is amended by striking out “age 62” and inserting in lieu thereof “age 60”. (2) Paragraph (2) of such section (as so amended) is amended by striking put “Such” and inserting in lieu thereof “Except as provided in subsection (q), such”. 79 Stat. 374 (b) (1) Paragraph (1) of section 202(g) of such Act is amended to read as follows: “(1) If the first month for which an individual is entitled to an old-age, wife’s, husband’s, or widow’s insurance benefit is a month before the month in which such individual attains retirement age, the amount of such benefit for each month shall, subject to the succeeding paragraphs of this subsection, be reduced by— “(a) 5/9 of 1 percent of such amount if such benefit is an old-age or widow’s insurance benefit, or 25/36 of 1 percent of such amount if such benefit is a wife’s or husband’s insurance benefit, multiplied by “(B) (i) the number of months in the reduction period for such benefit (determined under paragraph (6)), if such benefit is for a month before the month in which such individual attains retirement age, or “(ii) the number of months in the adjusted reduction period for such benefit (determined under paragraph (7)), if such benefit is for the month in which such individual attains retirement age or for any month thereafter.” (2) Paragraph (3)(A)(os renumbered by section 304(c) of this Act) of such section is amended— (A) by striking out “wife’s or husband’s insurance benefit” each place it appears and inserting in lieu thereof “wife’s, husband’s, or widow’s insurance benefit”; and (B) by striking out “age 62” and inserting in lieu thereof “age 62 (in the case of a wife’s or husband’s insurance benefit) or age 60 (in the case of a widow’s insurance benefit)”. (3) Paragraph (3)(D)(as so renumbered) of such section is amended by striking out “wife’s or husband’s” and inserting in lieu thereof “wife’s, husband’s, or widow’s”. (4) Paragraph (3)(as so renumbered) of such section is amended by adding at the end thereof the following new subparagraph: “(E) If the first month for which an individual is entitled to an old-age insurance benefit (whether such first month occurs before, with, or after the month in which such individual attains the age of 65) is a month for which such individual is also (or would, but for subsection (e)(1), be) entitled to a widow’s insurance benefit to which such individual was first entitled for a month before she attained retirement age, then such old-age insurance benefit shall be reduced by whichever of the following is the larger: “(i) the amount by which (but for this subparagraph) such old-age insurance benefit would have been reduced under paragraph (1), “(ii) the amount equal to the sum of the amount by which such widow’s insurance benefit was reduced for the month in which such individual attained retirement age and the amount by which such old-age insurance benefit would be reduced under paragraph (1) if it were equal to the excess of such old-age insurance benefit (before reduction under this subsection) over such widow’s insurance benefit (before reduction under this subsection).” (5) Paragraph (5)(as so renumbered) of such section is amended by adding at the end thereof the following new subparagraph: “(D) No widow’s insurance benefit for a month in which she has in her care a child of her deceased husband (or deceased former husband) entitled to child’s insurance benefits shall be reduced under this subsection below the amount to which she would have been 79 Stat. 375entitled had she been entitled for such month to mother’s insurance benefits on the basis of her deceased husband’s (or deceased former husband’s) wages and self-employment income.” (6) Paragraph (6)(as so renumbered) of such section is amended— (A) by striking out “wife’s, or husband’s” and inserting in lieu thereof “wife’s, husband’s, or widow’s”; (B) by striking out “or husband’s” in subparagraph (A)(i) and inserting in lieu thereof “, husband’s, or widow’s”; and (C) by striking out “age 65” in subparagraph (B) and inserting in lieu thereof “retirement age”. (7) Paragraph (7)(as so renumbered) of such section is amended— (A) by striking out “wife’s, or husband’s” and inserting in lieu thereof “wife’s, husband’s, or widow’s”; and (B) by striking out “and” at the end of subparagraph (B), by striking out the period at the end of subparagraph (C) and inserting in lieu thereof a comma, and by adding at the end thereof the following new subparagraphs: “(D) in the case of widow’s insurance benefits, any month in which the reduction in the amount of such benefit was determined under paragraph (5)(D), “(E) in the case of widow’s insurance benefits, any month before the month in which she attained retirement age for which she was not entitled to such benefit because of the occurrence of an event that terminated her entitlement to such benefits, and”. (8) Section 202(a) of such Act (as amended by section 304(c) of this Act) is further amended by adding at the end thereof the following new paragraph: “(9) For purposes of this subsection, the term ‘retirement age’ means age 65 with respect to an old-age, wife’s, or husband’s insurance benefit and age 62 with respect to a widow’s insurance benefit.” (c) The amendments made by this section shall apply with respect to monthly insurance benefits under section 202 of the Social Security Act for and after the second month following the month in which this Act is enacted, but only on the basis of applications filed in or after the month in which this Act is enacted.